Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Why Doesn't It Matter?

“Ah, Hi, I’ll just get a cup of ice water, please. “Keith retrieved his liquid luxury and returned to the small table where he and his two friends – no, acquaintances—sat.“So, I was thinking, the stars must not really exist. Sure, we can see them, but we can also see hallucinations. Those don’t exist either. I mean, has anyone ever actually been to a star? Not a one. They say the nearest one is four light years away. The fastest stuff on earth takes years to get there. It must not be real. Nothing real could be that far away.”“Hal, you’re just spouting that bullshit again. People far smarter than you or I know stars exist.”“Certainly, my dear Mikhail, and yet, people far smarter than you or I believe in god too. Intelligence only goes so far.”Keith piped up: “I don’t think money really exists. Nobody ever sees it going anywhere. These days we hardly even see cash. All we do is slide our cards and sign our names, invoking some semblance of responsibility and security over a payment and thus are you guaranteed not to be chased out the door when you leave. Nobody even looks at those signatures. I went for years doodling a smiley face instead of signing and no one accosted me.”“That’s nice, but we were discussing the ethereal nature of stars”“You mean their supposed nonexistence.”“Yes, that.”“Ah, well, that’s clearly bullshit,” said Keith.“You know, you people just don’t understand my genius. I’m surrounded by charlatans.”“And, yet, day after day, here you are.”“Humph, I was on my way out.”“What in the world d’you have to do besides this?”“Very important things. Very. Important.”That night, Keith stood outside for a short time and contemplated the stars.“Just a cup of water, if you don’t mind”Aqueous amenity acquired, Keith absconded to his seat, where Halliwell was detailing his plan to provide unlimited cheap energy through liposuction.“See here, there’s almost a billion fat people—““Overweight, you mean. Slightly chubby, even.”“And each one is a walking gold mine in energy. The fat from the state of Texas alone could provide enough energy for the entire country for weeks! It could be government subsidized! It would come as a part of Medicare packages! The poor are naturally fatter than the rich, so providing free liposuction would be a win-win situation!”“You are quite insane, you know that”Keith chimed in, “you know, after liposuction, you lose those fat cells forever. The fat cells you have left just get larger as a response. Unless you change your diet, it doesn’t matter how much fat you suck out.”“Yeah, exactly. He’s got it. What will you do when no one has any fat cells left?”“Nonsense, then they will be permanently skinny. The body has amazing adaptive faculties, don’t you know. People make up for deficiencies all the time. Not a word of protest comes out of them. Like vegetarians. They miss out on an entire food group, and you don’t hear them whining about their ‘condition,’ now do you?”“Vegetarianism is a choice isn’t it?”“Not always! It might be a fatal stomach accident that prevents the consumption of meat! Perhaps it’s conformist attitudes of peer pressure being born into some crazy hippy commune, perhaps they have no meat where they come from. Like Somalia. I hear there’s no meat in Somalia.”“I’ll bet that’s the only thing you’ve heard about Somalia”“So? What more do I need to know about a tiny country half the world away filled with people of inferior intelligence?“What do you need to know about this country, which is also filled with people humbled by your intellect?”“Nothing, except that I live in it, and thus I need to know about it.”“Why?”“Well, does a man live in a house without exploring it’s every cranny?”“Yes, quite often, actually”“Ah, um, does a man live in a city without exploring its every district?”“Without a doubt”“Well… Then I don’t know”“Lords above be praised for this boon you have granted me. The great and magnanimous Halliwell Percival Jones is stymied at last.”“Well, you don’t need to be snippy about it.”Keith momentarily removed his lips from his straw to speak “Well, that’s what’s nice about you. You care.”“Hardly. I have no concern for this nation of fools and morons. From New York to L.A, nary an intelligent soul in sight.”“Nonsense, you just haven’t looked. ““I’ve looked, and I’ve recoiled at the sight.”“You mean you saw your mother.”“I’ve had enough of your childish banter, Mikhail. I’m leaving before your lack of maturity drives me to commit actions I’ll regret.”“You’d regret them, alright. Regret them all the way to your hospital bed.”“Harrumph!”That afternoon, Keith watched a group of kids playing outside. He counted three fat ones and nine reasonably fit ones.“Can I just get some ice water, please?”Dihydrogen Monoxide drink divested, Keith returned to his throne.“The solution to the economic crisis is clear: cancel all loans. Just absolve everyone completely of debt. No one would be able to default if there were no loans to default on.”“But you can’t do that! Then the banks would run out of money! They’d collapse and everyone would be broke!”“Bullshit! All that money went somewhere! It must still be wherever it went. I imagine all the real estate companies have it.”“Nope, they spent it all on new construction and wages.”“Well, then construction companies must have it.”“Nope, union dues and materials. And wages.”“Well, the unions must have it.”“Nope, they spent it all on healthcare companies”“Them?”“Nope, the sent it to the pharmaceuticals. And on wages, and the like. The pharmaceuticals spent it all on cancer research and advertising. The researchers squandered it on coffee, note pads, and bags of pens, the advertisers on sponsorships. ““Well, where the hell is it?”Keith sparked up, “it doesn’t exist.”“It’s in the hands of a couple of rich people.”“What? Where? We should go take it back!”“You can’t. Rich people have all sorts of protections.”“Like what?”“Well, the government, for starters.”“But I am the government!”“Nope, the people with money are the government.”“What can we do?”“Nothing, really. Until the people realize what I’ve just told you and revolt en masse, it will continue.”“Oh, I see what this now. Some sort of crazed hippie thing. Well, count me out.”Keith interjected, “It doesn’t matter, since money doesn’t exist anyway. It’s just a social stratification tool.”“It’s not about crazed hippies, It’s about using the power each of us has to make a change for good!’“I’m not staying here to listen to crazy new age crap. Next you’ll tell me crystals can cure this scar on my face.”“You just don’t get it, do you? You’re too blinded by yourself to see past you!”“Good day, sir.”Before he could leave, an employee stopped Keith.“Hey, you come here every morning, but the only thing you ever get is a cup of ice water. I was wondering why.”Keith replied, “I never buy anything here because I hate it as a corporation. I’m hoping by not purchasing anything, I’m slowly becoming a liability in the cost of straws and cups.”“That’s not very good of you to take advantage of a free service like that.”“Well, will you deny me the service?”“I… guess not, have a nice day, you weirdo.”“You too, reprobate”That evening Keith stood outside. He thought for a bit and screamed at the top of his lungs, “WHY DOES IT MATTER?” Some itinerant contrarian responded with “WHY DOESN’T IT MATTER?”